C. Marius C.f. Capito was a Roman moneyer (tresvir monetalis) who struck coins in 81 BC during one of the most turbulent periods in Roman Republican history, the dictatorship of Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Despite sharing the nomen "Marius" with Rome's famous general and seven-time consul, this moneyer was unrelated to the famous Gaius Marius and instead belonged to a different branch of the gens Maria, the Capitones.

The year 81 BC came immediately after Sulla's decisive victory at the Colline Gate in November 82 BC, which crushed the Marian faction and allowed Sulla to declare himself dictator. The atmosphere in Rome was one of terror and political purges. And Plutarch vividly describes a scene where thousands of Marian prisoners were massacred while Sulla calmly addressed the Senate.

Throughout this, C. Marius Capito's denarii represent a fascinating intersection of political propaganda, technical innovation, and monetary administration. The coins emerged from a moment when Rome was transitioning from civil war to dictatorial peace, and their imagery carefully balances themes of agricultural prosperity, colonial expansion, and senatorial authority, all while being struck under the shadow of Sulla's absolute power.